As a digital marketing agency, one of the first questions we often hear from new website clients is, "How do I get my website to the top of Google?" It's the ultimate goal, but the path to get there can seem shrouded in technical jargon. The truth is, it all starts with one fundamental concept: Trust.
To rank your website, Google needs to trust it. But how do you build that trust? The key lies in understanding and improving your website's "reputation score." In the SEO world, we call this Domain Authority.
This post will demystify Domain Authority (DA) and show you, with a real-world local example, how focusing on it can build the foundation for serious online growth.
What is Domain Authority (in Plain English)?
Imagine the internet is like a massive city full of businesses. Domain Authority (DA) is simply your website's reputation score in that city.
It’s a score from 1 to 100 (created by the SEO software company Moz) that predicts how well your website will rank on search engines like Google.
A brand new website starts with a DA of 1, like a new business with no reputation.
A globally trusted site like the BBC has a DA in the high 90s, like a world-famous, highly respected institution.How is this "reputation" built? Mostly through backlinks. A backlink is simply a link from another website to yours.
Think of it this way...
A link from a small, local blog is like a friendly recommendation from a neighbour. It’s helpful!
A link from a major, respected site like the Somerset County Gazette or a national tourism website is like a public endorsement from the Mayor. It carries a lot more weight.The more of these "votes of confidence" you get from other reputable websites, the higher your Domain Authority score becomes.
Why is Domain Authority Important?
This reputation score is crucial because Google trusts websites with better reputations.
Here's the direct connection to your website traffic:
Higher Domain Authority ➡️ Higher Trust from Google ➡️ Higher Search Rankings ➡️ More Visibility ➡️ More Clicks & Traffic
Essentially, as your DA score increases, Google sees your website as a more credible and authoritative source. Therefore, when someone searches for terms like "places to stay in Cannington" or "historic guest house Somerset," Google is more likely to show your website higher up in the search results.
Being on the first page of Google, rather than the fifth, is the difference between getting lots of visitors and getting almost none. Building your DA is the fundamental process of climbing those pages.
Case Study: Taking Cannington House from 1 to 10 (and beyond!)
Theory is great, but results are better. To show you this in action, let's look at our work with Cannington House, a stunning historic guest house right here in Somerset. When we started, their website had been live for a number of years but had had no SEO work done whatsoever meaning it had a low DA of just 1, the same score as a brand new website.
We implemented a targeted strategy focused on building high-quality, relevant backlinks. Here’s a snapshot of the progress over just three months:
March 18, 2025: Domain Authority 1 | 9 Linking Websites
April 14, 2025: Domain Authority 8 | 15 Linking Websites
May 6, 2025: Domain Authority 9 | 16 Linking Websites
June 24, 2025: Domain Authority 10 | 20 Linking Websites
In just over 90 days, we more than doubled the number of websites "endorsing" them and increased their reputation score tenfold. This is fantastic foundational growth and shows Google that canningtonhouse.co.uk is a legitimate and noteworthy business.
So, You've Built Authority. What's Next?
Building your website's authority can feel like a slow burn, but as the Cannington House results show, a focused strategy delivers real, measurable growth. This is the essential first step to climbing the ranks and driving meaningful traffic to your website.
Building DA is like building a strong foundation for a house. Now, it's time to build the rooms and put up signposts. The next steps involve leveraging this newfound authority:
Supercharge On-Page SEO:
Now that Google trusts the site, we need to tell it exactly what the site is about. This involves researching what potential guests are searching for (e.g., "accommodation near Hinkley Point") and optimising the website's content and titles to match those searches.
Dominate Local Search:
For a physical business, a fully optimised Google Business Profile is non-negotiable. We focus on filling out every detail, constantly adding fresh photos, and actively encouraging and responding to guest reviews.
Create Valuable Content:
A blog or journal is a powerful tool. By writing articles about local attractions or the history of the house, we can attract visitors who are in the planning stages of their trip, establishing Cannington House as a go-to local expert.
Is your website's reputation holding you back? If you're ready to build your authority and get noticed by Google, get in touch with the IMPACT 20twenty team today.
Thank you!
